The invention generally relates to barriers. More particularly, the invention relates to a double knit barrier material having integral pockets, a barrier apparatus and a method for making the barrier material.
It is generally known to provide a fence or fencing apparatus for the construction of portable or temporary fences. Such fences or barriers are often used as safety barriers on construction sites, as crowd control devices, as snow fences, as ski trail markings, or in a broad variety of other generally known applications.
A problem with many fences and fencing systems is that they are relatively burdensome or time consuming to construct. Many existing fence products are difficult to erect and more difficult to keep erect. One particularly problematic aspect of constructing many such fences is attaching the fence material to the fence posts. Separate attachment mechanisms or fasteners, such as separate ties, clips or wires, are often used to attach the fence material to the fence posts. Such attachment mechanisms are often troublesome and time consuming to use. It would be desirable to provide for an easier way of attaching the fencing material to the fence posts.
Additionally, it would be desirable to provide a fencing material including a mechanism or structure for attaching the fence material to the fence posts which is easy and relatively inexpensive to produce.
Therefore, there is a continuing need for a fence or barrier material, apparatus and method that facilitates the easy and timely construction of fences or other barriers.
The inventors have developed a barrier material including integral pockets in which barrier supports may be inserted to create a barrier apparatus. The barrier material provides for a barrier that can be easily constructed in a short period of time by providing for a quick, easy, and uncomplicated way to secure the barrier material to the barrier supports by simply inserting barrier supports into pockets within the barrier material.
In one aspect, the invention is related to a barrier material having a single ply of double-knit fabric having a first edge and a second edge. One or more pockets are formed in the fabric by the separation of the single ply of double-knit fabric at bounded areas into two separate single plies of single knit fabric. The pockets extend from the first edge toward the second edge of the fabric. In at least some embodiments, the pockets extend generally vertically within the material. In at least some other embodiments, the pockets extend generally horizontally within the material. Still other embodiments include pockets that extend both horizontally and vertically within the material.
The barrier material can be used in a broad variety of applications. For example, rigid, semi-rigid, or flexible barrier support members, such as rigid, semi-rigid or flexible fence posts or poles or other such supports can be inserted into the integral pockets within the fabric to construct a barrier apparatus. Additionally, flexible barrier support members, such as rope, cable, cordage, or other such structure can be inserted into the pockets as the support members. The barrier material can be used, for example, in barricade fencing, snow fencing, crowd control fencing, animal control fencing, construction site fencing, protective or decorative netting, trellises, canopies, arbors and a broad variety of other such structures and applications. The barrier material can also be hung and used as a netting barrier, for example, safety or debris netting.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a barrier apparatus. The barrier apparatus includes the barrier fabric as discussed above having two or more pockets. The apparatus further includes two or more barrier supports, wherein each one of the barrier supports is disposed within a separate pocket in the barrier fabric to form the barrier apparatus.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a method of making a barrier material having one or more integral pockets therein. The method includes the steps of producing a single ply of double-knit fabric having a first edge and a second edge; and during the production of the single ply of double-knit fabric, forming one or more pockets in the double-knit fabric by allowing the separation of the single ply of double-knit fabric at bounded areas into two separate single plies of single knit fabric such that the pockets extend from the first edge toward the second edge of the fabric.